Robert De Niro sat down with Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper Saturday evening for a Tribeca Talk: Storytellers to discuss Cooper’s career, focusing on their past work together including Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, Joy and Limitless.
Director David O. Russell made a surprise appearance to discuss their past work together including Jennifer Lawrence’s favorite moment from Silver Linings Playbook where De Niro as Cooper’s father calls him a loser. He also reminisced on a story when he first met De Niro with Joe Pesce who said, “You’re going to find out when you hang out with this guy, that if you don’t give him what to say, he’s not going to say anything.”
They also discussed Cooper’s upcoming directorial debut, a modern adaptation of A Star is Born, which he also produced, co-wrote, and stars in alongside Lady Gaga, and which will be the fourth big screen version of the movie.
Cooper goes on to say how he prepared for the role which included spending a year and a half taking vocal lessons and singing at major music festivals including Stagecoach and Glastonbury. Gaga told Cooper it was essential that he learn how to sing, telling him the audience can tell when it’s fake, whether its prerecorded or lip synching. She told him, “No, that’s only way this is going to work.”
De Niro has already seen the film and told the audience, “He is great in it. The movie is wonderful. I really hope it gets the attention I feel it should.”
Cooper shared a story on how he met De Niro right as his dad became ill; his father soon after passed away in between Limitless and Silver Linings Playbook and the actors’ experience playing father and son was the reason they grew so close. He explained: “I got to say the word ‘dad’ all the time after my dad passed away, and I got to say it to you.”
You can view the talk: https://www.facebook.com/Tribeca/videos/10156346176914758/
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